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Creating New York City’s Shared Space for Art and Play:
The Story of Governors Island
Governors Island basic facts• 172-acre island in the middle of New York Harbor
• Sits 800 yards from Manhattan and 300 yards from Brooklyn
• Former military base, closed to public its entire history
• Accessible only by boat
• First opened to the public in 20052
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Governors Island Facts• In 2003, 150 acres of
Governors Island transferred to New York, now managed by The Trust for Governors Island
• Remaining 22 acres of Island declared a National Monument, managed by the National Park Service
• Deed to the Island prohibits residential housing and gambling
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Historic District: The Ice Cream• Northern half of
the island is 92 acre Historic District, protected by national and local landmark laws
• More than 52 vacant landmark buildings, totalling 1.4M SqFt
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South Island: The Cone
• 80 acres of flat, featureless landfill
• New park required, new buildings and uses allowed
• Statue of Liberty views
• Dozens of derelict buildings
• Obsolete infrastructure• Closed to the public
In 2006, the question was:
What will Governors Island be? Sometimes phrased as:
“Where is the master plan?”“Is anything ever going to happen there?”
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• What should happen here? And more importantly, what should happen first?
• What does New York City not have?*
*and does it make sense on an island?
Instead we thought about:
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*
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Our mission:
To transform Governors Island into a vibrant resource for NYC with extraordinary public space, educational, not-for-profit and commercial facilities.
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Lesson 1:
It’s all about the customer, stupid.
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The Customer = The Public
In our world
• Solicited and collected more than 3,000 Post-It™ notes• People said:• “Lots more hammocks!”• “Keep it car-free”• “Outdoor sculpture
everywhere!”• “Yay for biking!”• “Playgrounds for big
people”
We listen to people.
WORD CLOUDWe show the public that what you say matters.
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Understand your assets.
Lesson 2:
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Act on it.
A flexible, free space for public programming.
Open ideas
Friendly bureaucracy
Curation
a.k.a. The Spaghetti Strategy
Funding
How we approach programming:
A citywide audience and platform
Social mediaDIY graphic
designPressIsland as a magnet
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OpenHouseGI 150,000 SF of indoor space and 25 acres of outdoor space available free of charge • Two dozen former officers’ homes • Open, transparent permit process online• Free for organizations offering free public programs
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CONFIDENTIAL 24
Theater and Dance Productions
Indoor exhibits Special events Open rehersals and studios
Workshops0
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Growth in visitor experiences offered
2011201220132014
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Market share is priceless.
Lesson 3:
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In our case, the psychological market share of an entire city.
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Have a strategy and stick to it.
Lesson 4:
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Expanded public access and early signature uses
Public investment in stabilization and infrastructure
Multi-phase, mixed-use development strategy
Early creation of new world-class park and public spaces
Circa October 2006
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Execution is All.
Think Big, Act Small.
Lesson 5:
Maira Kalman33
A visitor had an idea.….
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We went shopping…
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We demolished some buildings…
36Picnic Point, July 2009
We opened Picnic Point…
37Hammock Grove, Park and Public Space Master Plan, 2010
And designed “Hammock Grove.”
38Hammock Grove, 2014
Now the public enjoys it.
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If you (your organization) was to disappear tomorrow would it matter?
Lesson 6:
2011 2012 2013 20140
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Growth in number of organizations presenting
Num
ber
of P
rogr
amm
ing
Org
aniz
atio
ns
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
500,000
Growth in Governors Island’s popularity
Year
Tota
l Vis
itatio
n
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Indifference curves matter….sometimes
Lesson 7:
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Governors Island is New York’s shared space for art and play.
Created by and for New Yorkers
